The present invention is directed toward a door blocking desk or table and, more particularly, toward such a piece of furniture that can be easily moved into place in a doorway of a school room or the like and that can be locked in place to prevent a person or a bullet from getting through.
Unfortunately, in our society today there is a growing need for methods of self protection particularly against persons with guns. Gun violence over the past number of years has increased significantly. Mass shootings, in particular, have become prevalent.
Tragically, many mass shootings have occurred in schools and, most recently, in an elementary school where numerous innocent young children were killed and numerous others injured.
Several proposals have been set forth to prevent such mass killings. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0152096 to Peters, for example, shows various articles of furniture including school desks and office furniture that are constructed of bullet-proof material allowing a student or teacher to hide under the desk for protection. Unfortunately, once a gunman enters a room it may be too late for the children to protect themselves.
There have also been proposals for automatically locking doors or making it easy to close and blockade a door. Insofar as Applicant is aware, such proposals have not been accepted since it would be easy for a gunman to shoot through a door or otherwise break down an entrance door.
There is, therefore, a need for an arrangement that would allow a teacher or even students to quickly and easily blockade a door to the classroom and which would provide protection to the students therein.